21L 485 Twentieth Century Fiction
Prof. David Thorburn
Midterm Test
Part One (30 points)
Identify ten of the following items and comment briefly on the relevance of each to our course. In
the case of quotations, try to identify their context and their contribution to central themes.
1. Ford's relation to Conrad
2. Kurtz's Intended
3. Billy Fish
4. "The Secret Sharer"
5. drama of the telling
6. omniscient narrator
7. mimesis
8. I would not knock old fellows in the dust
9. bottle-green eyes
10. I have, I am aware, told this story in a very rambling way so
that it may be difficult for anyone to find his path through what may be a sort of maze. I cannot help it.
11. Starry Night
12. For the first fortnight his parents could not bring themselves to the point of entering his room, and he
often heard them expressing their appreciation of his sister's activities, whereas formerly they had
frequently scolded her for being ... a somewhat useless daughter.
Part Two (70 points)
Answer one of the following questions, citing specific scenes, events and passages to support your
argument.
1. Compare Heart of Darkness to The Man Who Would Be King. What elements do these tales
share? How would you describe and evaluate their differences?
2. "Modern fiction is deeply ironic and anti-heroic, more likely to expose human weaknesses and
failings than to dramatize achievement and success." Discuss this statement with reference to at least three
of our writers.